OK real quick. Recently there has been an small influx of gangbangers into my neighborhood. Wasnt there 6 months ago when I bought my house unfortunately. (stupid declining market making homes cheaper for the hood rich)

Based on the last couple days I have decided I need a gun... yesterday, Just in case. Especially one of the guys that is moving in across the street from me has a rather worrisome record. not the worst it could be, attempted to be the worst if you get what im saying (dont worry about how I know, i just do)

If it tells you anything about how nervous i have gotten the last couple days, i just got a quote from 3M for putting blast/bullet resistant film on my front windows of my house.

Unfortunately my monstrosity of a lab just doesnt gimme that oh so safe feeling anymore, not with these retards running around.

My info:
I live in Sonoma County, more specifically Santa Rosa.
I have no gun experience.
I have only shot hunting guns as a kid.
I need something small, easy to use. Something that perhaps the wife could use as well if she had too.
My ultimate goal is being able to protect my family in the event it is necessary.
I hope to never use it except for target practice.
I have a safe to lock it up from my son.

I have a read a bit online but I know some of you gun nuts, (i.e. brucelee) can simplify this info for me to expedite this process.

What type of gun would best suit my needs? It will only serve one purpose, it doesnt need to be the best thing out there. Just reliable.
How much am I looking at price of gun?
How much is ammo?
Where should I go to do said purchase?
What is the process to get a gun?
How long should I expect to wait?
Who can show me how to use it?
Where can I practice? <-- this is the only one I think I know.

Thanks for the info.

P.S.- If anyone in Santa Rosa area, or anywhere for that matter, is willing to help me out, I can pay in beer or $$. This is a priority for me right now.

 

Ryan doesnt your wife do something for law enforcement?

or did?

 

Just get a shotgun. With a Knox stock, you wife will have no problem handling it.

 

What type of gun would best suit my needs? It will only serve one purpose, it doesnt need to be the best thing out there. Just reliable.

revolvers reliability is up there and is easy to use.

How much am I looking at price of gun?

depends on which one you get, ranges from 400-1000+

How much is ammo?

depending on caliber. ranges at 3cents a round for 22lr to 40cents a round for .45

Where should I go to do said purchase?

any gun store you want, i prefer a few i could pm you if you like.

What is the process to get a gun?

get your HSC, buy gun, wait 10 days (cooling off period). all if your not restricted to owning a gun.

How long should I expect to wait?

10 days after purchasing if your eligible to own one and if you pass your hsc.

Who can show me how to use it?

if your ever in the east bay i have no problem showing you how to use one safely.

Where can I practice?

there are many shooting ranges throughout the bay area, some have rentals some do not.

good luck and stay safe.

 

Also:

http://www.shattergard.com/home.html

http://www.safeslider.com/patio-door...o-install.html

http://theultimatelock.com/index.html

http://www.taylorbrothersdoorlock.com

 

What type of gun would best suit my needs? It will only serve one purpose, it doesnt need to be the best thing out there. Just reliable.
*get a single/double action revolver. BY FAR most reliable. a .38 special or even a .44mag/.357mag (with lazer grip so you don't have to aim. just point and shoot). my friend's mom keeps one at her bedside at all times. get a biometric safe that you can access in about 2 seconds... cause you won't have 4-5 minutes to somehow get to your safe, open it, and load up.

or, just get the shortest CA legal pistol grip pump shotgun... and some 00buck military grade shot. 9 ***** in each... .38 caliber each ball... that's like getting hit with 9 .38 ***** at once... done deal. and usually just the sound of racking the shotty is enough.

How much am I looking at price of gun?
*around $500

How much is ammo?
*depends on what caliber you buy; but you want soft tip or hollow point so it doesn't go through 4 walls before stopping. (like the big shootout in Oakland the other day) The +P 230grain jacketed hollow points, nickel plated casing (barnes expander) that i have for defense rounds are pretty expensive, but are going to get the job done... who cares about the diff between $15 and $25 for 20 or so rounds...

Where should I go to do said purchase?
*gunsamerica.com; get a FFL dealer; remember you have a 10day waiting period.

What is the process to get a gun?
*for handgun, you need to pass a ~30 question multiple choice (HSC) test and renew it every 2yrs i think. includes background check for felonies. for long guns, no test but still have to wait. even if you already own 10 guns (stupid imho)

How long should I expect to wait?
*10 days (Cali law)

Who can show me how to use it?
*yep, i got your back. revolvers are super easy to use/clean/maintain.

 

I've been considering selling my Winchester Defender 1300. Not 100% set on doing so, but would be willing to consider it for the right offer.

 

I agree with you on a few points, but the following are ridiculous.

• .44 or .357 for a female to handle in a home defense type situation? I dunno about that.
• 00 buck - again - in a home defense situation? This has been covered ad nauseum on this forum, but I still maintain that #4 birdshot has plenty of punch to stop an intruder from what is likely to be no more than 15-20 feet away. Also, a 12 gauge with a pistol grip isn't going to be the easiest thing to control for a female, unless they already have significant experience with such a thing.
• Revolver - check - this is the simplest thing for this scenario. Aim, squeeze, and shoot.

 

I don't know about "ridiculous". 60 year old woman, shooting a .357 mag. no problem. put the red dot on the perp's chest, done deal. if you miss, the thing is so damn loud (if shooting +P loads indoors without ear protection), whoever is on the receiving end will be running. I would say that the trigger pull weight would be more important.

many women can control these guns. is she 90lbs? or 125? my sister and 62 year old mom can shoot one if she HAD to and hit the target.

also, any gun you purchase, you should shoot it until you are totally comfortable with it in your hands. that's for damn sure.

definitley i would recommend a revolver, and what caliber is always up for debate. we can find some middle ground here... a taurus judge (w/ laser sight) revolver that can chamber 2 1/2" .410 shot shells w/ #4 bird shot... =)

if outside, you can also open carry, so the douches around you and your family understand that you and your fam aren't to be messed with. be sure to understand all local and fed laws obviously.

 

Agreed on this point, but I'd be more likely to suggest .38 in this case.

My mind is going to the training phase of gun ownership, where this dude takes his wife to the range in order to show her how to use the gun they just purchased with which to protect their family. If she has a terrible experience with a .357 or .44 mag, which is entirely likely, chances are she will be less likely to go for the gun if there is an intruder in their home.

Again, I don't want to hijack this thread too hard, but these are all things to consider. I think we're actually on the same page more or less here, but you're right - caliber is the debate, including shotshell selection.

My stepdad's friend shot his wife, who was two rooms away with their son, in the leg while trying to load his Winchester 700 (forgot what caliber) during what appeared to be a break-in attempt. The kid heard someone trying to break open the sliding glass door in the back of the house, told his dad who went to load his hunting rifle (worst home defense gun, btw) and ended up shooting his wife. Luckily, the would-be home invader fled the scene upon hearing the rifle go off, but the wife ended up having to have several surgeries just to correct the broken bones and giant mess the high caliber rifle bullet made of her leg. All of that to say it is critically important to choose something for home defense that is less likely to penetrate multiple walls.

 

If you are looking for a pistol and have a bit of money to drop I would recomend the H&K P30. It has mutipule grip options that come standard with the pistol and allow you to fit it to both you and your wife's hands. It is a semi-automatic but H&K make very reliable pistols, I have shot them my entire life. Calibers are really up to you. I like the 9mm for everyday shooting, not a lot of stopping power but if you hit center mass...its still center mass. If you are looking for a higher caliber, .40, or 45mm it comes in both options. The 45mm has the most "stopping power" but ammo is expensive and if you own the gun you better know how to use it. This means about as much time with it at the range as you do with your car.

Also, if going with a shotgun. I would recomend the Remington 870. They make a "home defender" model that has a 8 round mag and a shorter barrel. You can find them @ big5 even. www.gunbroker.com is also a great place to look. remingotn 870 have been around a long time and can be found for fairly inexpensive used @ your local gun store as well. But like I said before, you must know how to use it and practice shooting in order to be a safe gun owner. Just owning it will do nothing if your dont know how to use it/shoot it.

One more comment about ammo. With the shotgun I like to go alternating between buck shot and bird shot. this way you get stopping power as well.

Hope this helps.

 

go to a gun range and try everything out. Everybody has different hands, grips, preferences, etc. You need to find the one u feel most comfortable with.

But as for a good but fairly inexpensive handgun, try a Ruger SR9 or SR9c (for compact). I've been looking at it as well, and it has been getting good reviews on the Ruger forums ( http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB/ ). Women tend to have no problems gripping this gun as well. It sells around $400

But if u really want the best advice, the best advice is not to get a gun, but to pack up and move. It may not be the ideal option, but you'll at least have peace of mind for your family moving into a safer neighborhood.

 

A shotgun is the best IMO for home defense. One thing you really need to think about is penetration, you don't want it going through the person, into your neighbor's kid's room. A shotgun with a home defense round wont go much further than your house, and depending on size of shot and distance wont kill the person, but make them seriously reconsider their life choices.

You can pick up a remington 870 security for dirt cheap on sale at big 5 some times for around $350 out the door. The chambering of a round on a shotgun is a hell of a deterrent too.

 

or letting them know where you are.

 

if you're super worried about hurting anyone else but a potential perp don't get any gun...

get the highest rated taser, taze the h*ll out of em and don't let off until the cops show up.

for shotguns, you can also get non-lethal rounds, rubber bullets, bean bag rounds, etc... that'll jack them up just as much.

even a spring club will work wonders too... aim for the joints, knees, elbows, etc. that'll put someone on meth down even.